Predictions for the USA in 2015

In the year 2015, there is a change of sub-period in the SAMVA USA chart, from the favourable Mercury period to the adverse Ketu period. There will be several stationary transits of slow moving malefic planets over natal placements to contend with during the year, especially in the late summer and fall. The combined influences suggest an increased likelihood of growing involvement in foreign military conflicts with mounting fatalities and significant violent events and communal strife at home.
   Importantly, as the Venus-Ketu period draws to an end, a shift in the collective mindset of Americans will likely have taken place, towards a more just and inclusive society.

PERIOD INFLUENCES
The Venus major period will continue to operate until April 19, 2016. This means that for the next 16 months the energy of this weak but important planet, as 4th lord of communal harmony, fixed assets and natural resources in the 6th house of conflict, health and financial stability, will continue to be a prominent background influence in the national life. A signal development during this period was the housing and banking bubble that grew from the mid 1990s until it burst with a bang in 2007-2008. Since then, US households and the economy have been on a gradual mend. The development of shale oil extraction (fracking) has also been a prominent feature in the latter part of the Venus major period. With it have come concerns about its potentially harmful environmental impact, as reflected in the ban on such activities in New York State on December 18, 2014.
   In early 2015, the positive sub-period of Mercury, since February 2012, comes to an end. The energy of Mercury is related to hi tech, communication and transportation activities as well as intelligence-based foreign and security policy. In the headlines have be the Snowden revelations about the National Security Agency (NSA) gathering of intelligence from the on-line activities of ordinary Americans, stunning innovations in transportation by Elon Musk,  great advances in remote space exploration, advances in mobile telephony and robotry, and the smart-power foreign policy. Such advances will of course continue but it is likely that their isolating and estranging aspect will become more prominent in the year ahead. Indeed, the US is likely to find itself in a more isolated or unusual position both abroad and at home, associated with the new Ketu sub-period.
   The Ketu sub-period runs from February 18, 2015 to April 19, 2016. Ketu, as the Moon‘s south node, is associated with an abrupt, separating and estranging energy that has a spiritualising effect on those caught in its throes, such as being suddenly confronted with a loss. The pain propels us to reach for a higher understanding in order to deal with it. Over time, this has the effect of making us better people as we become more in tune with our humanity or divinity. Indeed, when Ketu has an influence on a sensitive placement in the horoscope, there can be sudden, even explosive such events.
   In the SAMVA USA chart, the Venus major period is an important feature of this final sub-period, of Ketu, because Ketu afflicts the 4th house, owned by Venus. The combined influence of a weak Venus and Ketu afflicting its own house, increases the probability of some form of collective strife during this sub-period. Those feeling estranged or on the outs in society will likely come to the attention of society, which is normally not easy. Fortunately, the transit of Ketu this year will be easier as Ketu is placed in the 9th house of luck and higher knowledge and its transit influence is less. We may hope that a gradual social awareness of the wrongfulness of social exclusion, in all its forms, becomes a high minded feature of this energy as the Venus major period and Ketu sub-period run their course.
   Historically, the Ketu major period has been attached to strange trends in the life in the United States. When the first Ketu major period began (April 1869 - April 1876), the Civil War had ended, with the Northern states prevailing in their fight to keep the southern Confederate states in the Union. The next order of business for the US government was to stamp out slavery and desegregate the south, including combating the rise of the clandestine white supremacist Ku Klux Klan organisation. In 1871, President Grant passed the Ku Klux Klan Act.  As the second major Ketu period opened (April 1989 - April 1996), the USA found itself isolated as the sole global superpower following the collapse of Soviet Communism in 1990. Domestically, there were race riots in LA from April 29 to May 4, 1992. A siege from February 28, 1993 led to a fire that destroyed the Branch Davidian compound in Waco on April 19, 1993. A terrorist bombing took place in the World Trade Center on February 26, 1993. It was followed by an even more destructive and painful bombing in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995. There were also natural events of the nature of Ketu in the USA. The destructive Northridge earthquake struck on January 17, 1994 and a firestorm devastated parts of the city of Oakland on October 19-23, 1991.
   The above is indicative of the energies that may be seen in the national life during the Ketu period. However, for historically significant events to occur, the transits of functional malefic planets over sensitive natal placements must also be there, more so if transit or natal Ketu are involved.

KEY TRANSIT INFLUENCES
6L Jupiter: From the beginning of the year to its end, Jupiter will move from 28° Cancer to 29° Leo. The key transit involving Jupiter in 2015 is when it becomes stationary at 18° Cancer from mid March to mid May. In this stationary placement, Jupiter afflicts the 1st, 5th, 7th and 9th houses, and imparts a conflictual energy to the planets placed therein. The USA is likely to adopt a more strident approach in foreign policy, reflecting a realisation that efforts at informing and persuading in the Mercury period have not yielded the hoped for results. 
     In January, transit 6th lord Jupiter will be in aspect to natal 8th lord Saturn while transit Saturn is in a separating conjunction with natal Jupiter. These are violence inducing aspects, albeit not stationary, and hence less problematic. However, as they occur at the same time, caution is warranted. 
   In early October, transit Jupiter in Leo will move into the aspect of Aries at 17° 47' Aries and 10H MEP. While brief, this transit adds to other energies at that time suggestive of conflict and violence.

8L Saturn: From the beginning of the year to its end, Saturn will move from 7° Scorpio to 17° Scorpio. There are two key transits involving Saturn in 2015.
   The former is its station at 11° Scorpio from February through April. At that time, transit 8th lord Saturn will be conjunct 10th lord Mars at 10° 06‘ Scorpio and 5th house. Saturn will then impart its functional energy of obstacles and endings to the planet that is general indicator of the military and police and functional indicator of government, laws and foreign trade. As Mars is natally strong, a significant setback to its indications is not expected. However, there may be increased civil disobedience at that time, as well as efforts to reform the military and police. Criticism of the government and legislation may increase at that time. The ongoing trade dispute with Russia could also intensify. 

The transits in late July are difficult

   The latter key transit is when Saturn becomes stationary at 4° 20' Scorpio from July to mid September, where it will become conjunct natal 6L Jupiter at 4° 25‘ Scorpio and 5th house. This is a very difficult transit as it increases greatly the probability of violent events and actions in the national life. In late July and early August, when transit Jupiter is in early Leo, it will receive the aspect of transit Saturn. This dual affliction of natal and transit Jupiter by the Most Malefic Planet (MMP), 8th lord Saturn, raises the likelihood of violent events at that time.
   As transit Ketu, the sub-period lord, aspects transit Saturn from mid July, with the aspect becoming exact in late September, the likelihood is further increased of sudden, explosive events taking place at that time. As noted, the transit of Jupiter will also add to the combustible mix.

Rahu: From the beginning of the year to its end, Rahu will move from 21° Virgo to 1° Virgo. While Rahu will be stationary at 16° Virgo and the 3H MEP from March to mid May, this is not a pronounced affliction, although some tension may arise for communication and transportation.
   However, it is the second station of Rahu at 7° Virgo from August through October that will be tenser, as it is accompanied by other malefic transits. During this time, transit Rahu will stationary afflict natal 1st lord Moon, which may increase manipulation regarding the collective self-identity of the American people. As Rahu natally afflicts 10th, 2nd, 4th and 6th houses, effort to manipulate may involve the distribution of wealth in society. Vested interests may emphasise the ideology of individual freedom, private ownership and small government to counter political pressure from enacting policies that reduce the wide disparity of wealth in the country. The efforts to manipulate by the narrow vested interests are not likely to succeed. Spies or traitors of the nation may be exposed during the second nodal station.
   When transit 2nd lord Sun becomes conjunct the transit stationary Rahu around September 24, at 7° Virgo and 3rd house, the difficulty facing the US President and highly placed persons will increase significantly. Transit Mercury will also become stationary direct from October 8-11 at 7° Virgo. At that time, problems in communication and transportation are likely.
  

Ketu: From the beginning of the year to its end, Ketu will move from 21° Pisces to 1° Pisces. Ketu will become stationary at 16° Pisces and 9H MEP from March to mid May. As sub-period lord it may create some tension regarding the indications of the 9th house of higher knowledge, the courts and religion. When transit 2nd lord Sun becomes conjunct the transit stationary Ketu at the end of March, at 16° Pisces and 9th house, some difficulty may be experienced by the US President and highly placed persons. 
   The stationary placement of Ketu at 7° Pisces from August through October is likely to become more tense, as transit Ketu will then aspect transit 8L Saturn in the first decant of Scorpio. The aspect becomes exact on October 1. This energy will add to the scope for serious violent acts or events associated with the stationary conjunction of transit 8th lord Saturn with  natal 4th lord Jupiter at 4° Scorpio and 5th house, as well as its opposition aspect to 1st lord Moon at 7° 19' Taurus and 11th house, while Rahu is also afflicting natal Moon. 

     As the year opens, the nodes will be passing through the MEPs of 3rd and 9th houses in normal retrograde motion. Perhaps there will be a brief increase in tension concerning the communication of US foreign policy, a sign of things to come.

SUMMARY

The Occupy protests of 2010 began the change.

The transits in the late summer and fall are of most concern in 2015. Growing conflict with increased violence is possible at that time. Americans will likely feel the heat abroad and at home. 
   A transformative change in the mindset of Americans is also expected to take place as this difficult major period and sub-period run their course. This will perhaps not be easily discernible while it takes place. However, the events that unfold and the long standing difficulty in the national life will likely have the cumulative effect to reduce the willingness of Americans to endure any longer the destructiv, divisive and extreme inequality of wealth, income and opportunity that has characterised the national life for so long and become truly onerous in the Venus major period.
   It will become the challenge of the political establishment in 2015 to respond to the growing demand of the population for a more inclusive society. If the politicians in Congress do not heed the call, they run the risk of being increasingly sidelined by a fair minded President. More importantly, if the Congressional majority does not heed the call, it risks being overturned in a historic progressive shift after the Sun major period begins in 2016.